Plant Trials

PERENNIAL PLANT EVALUATION PROCESS

Each year, the committee selects 10 perennials to evaluate. The plants are sourced and purchased by growers on the committee who nurture them in pots before giving them to the evaluators. In late summer, evaluators plant the perennials. The 3-year evaluation begins the following spring. Evaluators record plant performance data, such as flower color, bloom period, height and spread and other attributes—positive and negative. The evaluations are compiled, analyzed and summarized in “Perennial Snapshots.” The Snapshots for each plant are available here and provide industry professionals and consumers with plant performance information for the Chicagoland area.